|
''The American Friend'' ((ドイツ語:Der amerikanische Freund)) is a 1977 film by Wim Wenders, loosely adapted from the novel ''Ripley's Game'' by Patricia Highsmith. The film is of the neo-noir genre, and features Dennis Hopper as career criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Zimmermann, a terminally ill picture framer whom Ripley coerces into becoming an assassin. Though primarily based on ''Ripley's Game'' (1974), the film also uses elements, uncredited, of ''Ripley Under Ground'', which was later adapted to film in 2005.〔(Interview with Patricia Highsmith ) by Gerald Peary〕 The source novel was cinematically adapted a second time in 2002 as ''Ripley's Game''. ==Plot== Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper) is a wealthy American living in Hamburg, Germany. He is involved in an artwork forgery scheme, in which he appears at auctions to bid on forged paintings produced by an accomplice, artificially driving up the price. At one of these auctions, he is introduced to Jonathan Zimmermann (Bruno Ganz), a picture framer who is dying of a rare and unspecified blood disease. Zimmerman refuses to shake Ripley's hand when introduced, coldly saying, "I've heard of you" before walking away. Ripley is approached by an associate, a French criminal named Raoul Minot (Gérard Blain), who asks him if he can murder a rival gangster. Ripley turns him down, but suggests getting Zimmerman to do it in order to get back at him for the slight. He spreads rumors about Zimmerman's illness taking a turn for the worse. Minot then approaches Zimmerman with the offer to kill the gangster for a great deal of money that he can put away for his wife and son after he dies. Zimmerman initially turns Minot down, but becomes greatly distressed by the thought that he may not have long to live. He agrees to come to France to get a second medical opinion on his illness, arranged by Minot, and Minot arranges to have the results altered to make it look as if Zimmerman hasn't long to live. Zimmerman agrees to commit the murder, a shooting in a Paris Métro station. Ripley visits Zimmerman in his shop before and after the shooting to get a picture framed, without Zimmerman knowing his involvement in the scheme, and the two begin to form a bond. Minot visits Ripley again, telling of his satisfaction with Zimmerman's performance. Ripley, who has grown to like Zimmerman, is appalled when Minot says he plans to have him murder another rival gangster, this time on a moving train using a garrote. Zimmerman agrees to the second murder but is not convinced he'll survive the ordeal, telling Minot to make sure his wife gets the money regardless of what happens to him. Before he can go through with it, however, Ripley appears on the train and executes the target himself, as well as a bodyguard. Ripley and Zimmerman meet and Ripley confesses to his part in the scheme, but declines Zimmerman's offer to keep the money for the second hit. Ripley advises Zimmerman to tell Minot that he did the job on the train alone. Back home, Zimmerman has a violent argument with his wife, Marianne, who does not believe his stories of being paid to undergo experimental treatments. Zimmerman begins receiving mysterious phone calls and believes the Mafia is trying to find him. His fears grow worse when Minot tells him that his flat was recently bombed. Ripley picks up Zimmerman and they drive to his mansion, where they wait for assassins to appear. Ripley and Zimmerman ambush and kill the assassins. Ripley piles their bodies into the ambulance in which they arrived, and plans for him and Zimmerman to dispose of the bodies. Just then, Marianne appears and tells Zimmerman that he was deceived by the altered medical reports. Ripley approaches her and explains that she and her husband can settle matters later, but for now, they need to dispose of the bodies. They drive to the sea, Ripley in the ambulance and Marianne driving her husband in their car. Ripley douses the ambulance with gasoline and sets fire to it on the beach. Watching him, Zimmerman ushers Marianne into the car and drives away, abandoning Ripley on the beach. Moments later, he dies on the side of the road. Ripley watches by the dock on the beach, smiling and saying, "We made it anyway, Jonathan. Be careful." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The American Friend」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|